How to Make Dog Outfits

Putting clothing on dogs appears to be trendy given how many Hollywood celebrities dress their little toy dogs in pink frou-frou outfits. At pet stores, though, some of these dog outfits cost a pretty penny--more than you may want to pay in order to follow a trend. With some patience, you can save money and create a dog outfit unlike what is sold in stores.

Things You'll Need

  • Fabric
  • Measuring tape
  • Sewing machine
  • Thread
  • Fabric marker
  • Scissors
  • Nylon fastening fabric
  • Pins
  • Tissue paper
  • Safety pins
Show More

Instructions

  1. Preparation

    • 1
      Because it is flexible, measuring tape helps to effectively measure your dog's body.

      Measure and remeasure your dog around the neck, chest, waist and length of the back in order to determine its measurements. Be sure to measure the dog in a standing and sitting position in order to determine an accurate measurement. While sitting, the dog is more relaxed, allowing its stomach to expand slightly. If you measure only while it is standing, the clothing may be too tight when the dog is in a sitting position.

    • 2
      Durable and stretchy fabrics are also fashionable.

      Purchase a durable clothing fabric and nylon fastening fabric for the dog's outfit. For example, twills and denims are more durable than a thin cotton, batik or satin fabrics, as they may fray and not hold stitching as well. Additionally, a stretchy fabric may better suit an active dog as it provides more wear. Purchase slightly more fabric than your dog's measurements as you want to make sure you have room for error and room for your dog to move.

    • 3
      Designing an outfit for your dog should require plenty of thought and concentration.

      Design an outfit using paper and pencils. This will give you a reminder of what you want to design. If possible, draw the design from the top, side, front and bottom in order to get a full outfit blueprint.

    • 4

      Sketch out a basic pattern using a marker and tissue paper. Sketch your pattern based on your dog's measurements. If possible, hold the tissue paper pattern up to your dog to double-check where the foreleg holes should be placed and if the neck hole is large enough.

    Sewing

    • 5

      Pin the tissue paper patterns to your fabric. To do so, flip the patterns to the wrong side (the side you did not draw on) and pin them to the wrong side of the fabric (the side with the least vibrant color or, if the fabric has a sewn-in design, where the raw thread is located).

    • 6

      Cut the fabric along the patterns, leaving the pins in so the patterns or fabric do not slip, which could result in uneven or incorrect cuts.

    • 7
      Safety pins will protect your dog from getting pricked.

      Pin the cut-out pieces of fabric together using safety pins. Make sure the wrong sides of the fabric face you, with the good side of the fabric facing down. Pin the pieces together according to the outfit design you drew.

    • 8

      Flip the pinned fabric to the right side and place the outfit on the dog to see if it fits and to see if you need to make any adjustments before sewing. Make sure your dog can move and walk easily.

    • 9

      Remove the unsewn outfit from the dog after you made your adjustments. Flip the outfit so the wrong side of the fabric is facing up toward you and replace the safety pins with straight pins, which will make removing the pins during the sewing phase less of a hassle.

    • 10

      Sew all the pieces of your dog outfit together, leaving the bottom portion where the dog's stomach will be open. As you sew, be sure to remove all the straight pins. Cut any loose threads for a polished finish. Flip the outfit to reveal the right side of the fabric.

    • 11

      Attach fastening fabric to the outfit's bottom portion where the outfit is open and crosses the dog's stomach. Attach one side of a fastening fabric to the left side, the other side to the right. Sew the fastening fabric in place. The outfit is finished.